Press about Race: REVIEW OF HIGH TECHNOLOGIES.
At the end of February , the 10th anniversary international specialized exhibition of communication systems "NORVEKOM-2003" was held in St. Petersburg. More than 300 participants from Russia and other countries presented modern means of mobile communication, radio communication equipment for the sea and river fleet, IP technologies, electronic components and software, the latest models of computers and much more,
Visitors were particularly interested in the expositions of telecom operators, where, of course, the central place was occupied by the exposition of the first all-Russian operator Megafon, whose subscriber base the base in Russia has already exceeded the mark of 3.5 million people.
Among other participants - "Telecom XXI" (MTS trademark), "Delta Telecom", "Skylink". Such a wide representation of companies is not accidental, because the telecommunications market of the Northwest Russia - one of the most developed and promising in the country - is strategically important for mobile operators. And the exhibition is an excellent platform for demonstrating new cellular communications, where you can present the latest achievements of the domestic and global telecommunications industry.
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The main surprise that Megafon has prepared for the exhibition is the opening of MMC roaming based on GPRS between The Moscow region and the North-West. To date, Megafon is the only mobile operator in Russia that provides such a service on its own network. Owners of modern MMC phones have the opportunity to use all the usual set of multimedia services when traveling between Moscow and the Northwest.
Among these services is the ability to receive and send messages with color "pictures" and photos, which , if desired, can be accompanied by text and music, to deliver MMS content on request. The Moscow Megafon network became the first mobile network to open in Russia has similar services. Now the North-West has also joined the unified MMS space.
Currently , MMSon ( multimedia messaging) and MegaMMS services are available to metropolitan subscribers - useful multimedia information on request ("Weather", "Exchange rate", "Biorhythms"). Also, for all fans of MMS , there is a unique website on the Internet - the "Eye of the People". Color photos sent by them to the site in the form of multimedia messages are publicly available here. In addition, a little earlier, subscribers of the Moscow Megafon network already had the opportunity to use MMS GPRS services in Finland (Sonera cellular network).
Compass for highways
Visitors of the exhibition were also attracted by the WebLocator project - the first in Russia and Eastern Europe Europe is a new generation dispatch system using mobile positioning technology in the cellular network (Megafon). First introduced in Moscow in December 2002 by Race Communications and the Megafon metropolitan network, the system has successfully proven itself in the corporate sector: in the first month of operation alone, WebLocator's order portfolio exceeded 300 vehicles. Today , private car owners can also connect to the system .
In Moscow, a megalopolis with a complex and extensive highway scheme, WebLocator it can be used as a convenient means of navigation. The system allows you to track on an electronic map the route of the car and its current position anywhere in the capital and beyond. You can open the computer card directly from the car interior using a laptop computer connected to the network The Internet.
By installing special sensors in the car, the WebLocator user will be able to carry out remote control of personal transport - for example, to receive a signal about opening doors and send a command to lock the car engine in case of theft. Thus, the dispatching system can become an effective application to the security alarm system.
To become a subscriber of the system, it is enough for a car owner to conclude a contract for the provision of WebLocator services, connect to the Megafon mobile network under the Locator tariff plan (federal numbers) and purchase terminal equipment. In the very near future , developers are planning to create electronic maps Russia and Europe (at the exhibition "NORVEKOM-2003" showed a map of St. Petersburg), on which it will be possible to track the movement of cars in roaming.
Visitors of "NORVEKOM-2003" were able to get acquainted with BotFighters - a game based on mobile positioning technology. The game is based on the principle of "mobile paintball", where bullets are SMS messages, and opponents are real people. The player scans the surrounding space, determining where his rivals are located in the city, and shoots at the selected target. The enemy returns fire, a firefight ensues.
The winner of the battle earns prize points (robucks), which can be used to buy more powerful weapons and protective equipment. The loser "loses his life", but does not quit the game and "resurrects" again. Players can join clans or fight alone. The most experienced and successful fighters are awarded medals and take pride of place in the ranking of winners on the BotFighters website.
The game has gained huge popularity in the Nordic countries. The Russian debut of BotFighters took place in the Moscow Megafon network in November 2002, and at the end of January 2003, Russia came out on top in the world in terms of the number of fighters BotFighters, ahead of the former leader - Sweden (network Telia). Today, the army of Russian players exceeds 10 thousand people, and since the appearance of the game in Moscow, more than 500 thousand battles have already been held and 5 million shots have been fired (SMS messages).
Simultaneously with the demonstration of the latest technical achievements, the exhibition NORVEKOM has established itself as one of the most important infocommunication forums in the country, where civilized relations are formed and strengthened between all participants of the Russian telecommunications market, where they actively exchange experience.
In short, on the eve of its 300th anniversary, St. Petersburg once again confirmed the status of a universally recognized center for the development and implementation of high technologies in the daily life of Russians.
A. Streltsov, observer of "EZH",
Saint Petersburg-Moscow
Economics and Life (partner) No. 9, p. 6
